Application to the Imperial Academy

[Lord Sander]

Scenario: The Empire takes over the Milky Way galaxy and eventually sets up Imperial Academy facilities in the Alpha Quadrant.
Question: Considering the EU's insistence upon speciesism in the Empire, where do you think would the Academy draw the line in admitting applicants of what I would characterize as the native near-Humans races?
Certainly I think the Academy would admit Terrans (Humans from Earth), and most likely just about every race we've seen looking identical to Humans.
But what about Vulcans? They look Human enough, ears excepted. Bajorans? Just some wrinkled noses. How about Romulans? Cardassians? I certainly can't see the Academy admitting a Klingon or Ferengi.
So just where would the Academy draw the line?

[Thanas]

If it is before Pellaeons/Daala reforms, they'd probably draw the line with anything after Bajoran/Vulcan/Romulan. So no Orions, Cardassians etc.

After the reforms: They'd take everyone they can get.

[Alyeska]

Anyone that looked reasonably Human would be allowed into the Imperial Navy. The likes of Vulcans and Romulans are probably going to be met with a slower career advancement option. Bajorans ought not have any problems. Andorians, Cardassians, and Klingons could potentialy join because they are still overwhelmingly humanoid, but they would almost certainly be relegated to shitty postings and dangerous duty.

[Solauren]

I can see Klingons doing well as Starfighter pilots for some reason

There is something to be said, in terms of honor, between Starfighter dog-fighting/tactics and infantry charges.

Just don't give them anything expensive.

[Imperator Galacticus]

This is all good speculation, but is there any proof the Empire would use even near-humanoids in its military ranks? Why should an institution where even one blue alien is notorious for his color start to demand near-human looking species except due to a lack of human resources in their own Galaxy?

[Mr Bean]

By species I don't see them having any problems with Terrans, Vulcans, Bajorns, Romulans
Though Bajorans and Romulans won't be making starship captian anytime soon

Ferengi with a few exceptions probably won't even ask

Klingon however, would be perfect for TIE duty, heck I could see them climbing each over at the chance for Fighter duty

[Crossroads Inc.]

I wonder how well the Andorians and the Chiss would get along

[Hawkwings]

"No, we're the baddest blue-skins out there!"

"Yeah, well we have the uber-fleet commanders!"

"Yeah, well the only good one got himself stabbed in the back! On the other hand, *we* are the ones that do the stabbing!"

anyways...

The terran population of the ST galaxy may not be very good candidates though. They just seem to hopped up on peace and pacifism... Maybe if you trained them from a young age...

[Ra]

Don't forget the Bolians in this blue-skin exchange. But then again they aren't exactly known for their military prowess.
- Ra

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Scenario: The Empire takes over the Milky Way galaxy and eventually sets up Imperial Academy facilities in the Alpha Quadrant.
Question: Considering the EU's insistence upon speciesism in the Empire, where do you think would the Academy draw the line in admitting applicants of what I would characterize as the native near-Humans races?
Certainly I think the Academy would admit Terrans (Humans from Earth), and most likely just about every race we've seen looking identical to Humans.
But what about Vulcans? They look Human enough, ears excepted. Bajorans? Just some wrinkled noses. How about Romulans? Cardassians? I certainly can't see the Academy admitting a Klingon or Ferengi.
So just where would the Academy draw the line?

I would think in principle, anyone that is not so low that they are considered "indomesticated" will become a Citizen, and thus entitled to the full rights of Imperial law, which of course includes the theoretical right to enter an Academy.

Sullustans don't look much like humans, but they are still accepted.

In practice, it would depend on the Moff sent to the new Sector the Federation is. It won't be impossible for any of them, I'd guess, unless the new Moff is particularly xenophobic (on the Imp scale). Still, I guess one would have to accept that humans would have it easiest, and the farther you go from humans, the more likely you'd be hampered.

[Crossroads Inc.]

*thinks* Man... The Tholians and the Sheliek I guess would be screwed!

[Lord Sander]

Just don't give them anything expensive.

Like a TIE fighter?

Sullustans don't look much like humans, but they are still accepted.

Sullustans are accepted in the military academy? What source is this from? And is this pre or post ROTJ?

[The Guid]

Ther rebel fleet gathers near Sullust... they have to be annoyed about something!

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Sullustans don't look much like humans, but they are still accepted.

Sullustans are accepted in the military academy? What source is this from? And is this pre or post ROTJ?

Yes, apparently. Below is the quotation littered with my personal commentary (taking my usual somewhat-apologist/skeptical viewpoint, or what's the point of a commentary):

Huoba Neva had her work cut out for her when she went to the Academy. Sullustan and female, she had two strikes against her in the pro-Human, male-dominated hierarchy of the Empire and its Academies. Still, Sullust was an important world to the Empire. Some compared their status to the Mon Calamari in the Rebel Alliance.

Somehow, I doubt this. I doubt any world in the Empire (save maybe Coruscant) has the importance of the Mon Calamari in the Rebel Alliance. The Empire simply has too many worlds!

Daughter of an Executive Board Member of SoroSuub, she was easily able to qualify for the Academy. If any had what it took, she did.

Neva was a perfectionist and she had always been good at team games and sports. A career in the military was the kind of challenge she needed to see how good she was. Someday she would apply that drive to the company. She cherished its support, but didn't want any favors; she wanted to succeed or fail on her own merits.

Oh, so apparently, she isn't staying for a career. Hmm... I wonder whether that could have something to do with her career progression...

Upon arrival at the Academy, she threw herself into studies with the same aggressiveness her family put into their business enterprises. She majored in command school and weapons systems, finishing fourth in her class. Soon she was an officer, some said the token non-Human, but her skill spoke for itself.

Not bad.

Neva had a good career in the Navy, but it was not good enough. She wanted a command. Not some transport, but a scout ship or other combat vessel where she could make a name for herself. She bided her time when less talented officers got the good assignments. She set her sights lower and lower, hoping even for command of a lowly mining tug rather than a career of being an undistinguished officer.

I know they are trying to make the Empire sound racist here (as usual), but in reality, there are plenty of reasons that an officer won't get command that doesn't involve racism. The fact that she isn't planning to stay for a career could easily be it. Who wants to give a command to someone who won't stay in?

Disclaimer: This is not to say that there is no chance of racism being involved, but that like Daala, this is a piss poor example to gain sympathy with once you analyze it.

Besides, it is only herself that thinks that they were less talented. There are other things than a scoresheet for evaluation of command ability. Fair or not, Sullustans apparently tend to have flat, uninspiring monotones and are conservative commanders (SbS). These two could just as easily be factors, and they obviously never enter her brain.

After three years without a promotion, her patience wore thin.

One may note here that official Imperial policy is to review assignments every two years (ISB Ch12). Translation: She was skipped over for command about once to twice.

Compare that to Pellaeon. Years in the Imperial navy ... as second-in-command...

Her record was spotless and even her political reliability was good enough — she knew what she was up against.

You sure about the latter? Maybe COMPNOR Observers were just smarter than you thought, and correctly assessed your true state of loyalty - which is non-existent! They may not have anything solid to put in their report, but their suspicions must have filtered up.

Sullustari society felt that if you wanted something, you worked for it, and if you worked hard enough, you got it.

Equivalent exchange? Sorry pal. You are just idiotically naive. Besides, why is it only you that gets to judge whether you paid enough price.

You sound like the Edward brothers in Full Metal Alchemist, who thought that the correct materials plus all of about five drops of soul-representing blood is enough "price" to get their mother back.

This didn't seem to be the case with the Empire. If this was true tor her, mightn't it be true for her species? For other species as well? SoroSuub did fabulously well, but the big break into the ranks of the megacorporations, like the ones in the Corporate Sector, never seemed to come.

You tried all of three years and came to this conclusion? SoroSuub is powerful, but I have no delusions it matches up with KDY.

It took her a while to come around to the idea of joining the Rebel Alliance. She was no anarchist, and politics was something she gave lip service to just to get by. Being a soldier was what she did best, and if the Empire wouldn't give her a challenge, then the Rebellion would.

If being a soldier is what you do best, why the fuck do you want to go over to making a company?

She came over to the Alliance at the height of the fighting, a strong statement for one so ingrained in the ways of the SoroSuub Corporation, which was still staunchly pro-Imperial.

Yeah, a strong statement Sullustans can't be trusted. No doubt any Imperials who argued against her getting a command post are feeling very proud of their assessment, now proven so correct. Aliens really can't be trusted... You've also just reduced the chance of the next Sullustan ever getting a command. So now you can harp how "racist' the Empire is.

Tew had watched her career and when he saw her dissatisfaction he told his aides to act. They made the appropriate offers and, burning her bridges behind her, she defected. Now Sullust is a proud Republic world thanks to Sian Tew, and Neva was the youngest Sullustan warship captain in the Republic Navy.

Cool ... she burned her bridges and proved herself unreliable. It speaks much of the NR for them to have to rely on such people - ones that go where the "perks" are. In the end...

She still pushed herself hard. It wasn't enough to get a command — she needed to prove she earned it. The commendations she got after smashing the Imperial-backed insurgency in the Illoud system made it worth it all. She then was promoted to command of the escort frigate Rebel Star, which was destroyed off Coruscant while on the mission to rescue the crew of the Liberator. Neva's brilliant career ended on that rescue mission, but her example will be an inspiration to her fellow Sullustans for years to come.

... she got all of a frigate and went all the way to the oh-so-grand rank of Commander, and got it killed over Coruscant.

Anyway, yeah, so you see, Sullustans do get a chance. Some of them just waste it. No doubt the xenophobia grows even stronger with each case like this.

[UCBooties]

Right, except that even in your commentary you admit to xenophobic tendancies which already existed and exascerbated her already existing problems. Things like "a Solustian will be an uninspiring commander" and "they're too conservative." Yeah she screwed some stuff up, but there's still plenty here to point to the fact that the Imperial naval structure was in fact speciest when it came to promotions and commands. If all these claims are rebel propaganda, name one instance in the films where we see an Imperial vessel with an alien on it's crew, let alone on the command deck.

[DavidVCSAndersen]

“Make no mistake! Humans are the cultural and evolutional superior species of the universe and are destined to rule. Additional, within the human species all females are to be considered weaker and more fragile then males, and are therefore not encouraged to take political leadership positions.”

That is how I see the general opinion of the common Imperial officer and dictionary. I don’t think they would accept non-human applications. But I se it very likely that a few non-humans might find their way into Imperial ranks anyway, just like Thrawn did.

[Stark]

The EU is lame. That is all.

[Noble Ire]

The EU is lame. That is all.

I'm convinced.

[Lord of the Farce]

Right, except that even in your commentary you admit to xenophobic tendancies which already existed and exascerbated her already existing problems. Things like "a Solustian will be an uninspiring commander" and "they're too conservative."

Those two things has nothing to do with Imperial view of the Sullustans, and everything to do with independently verifiable observation of Sullustans' behaviour in battle. You know, kind of why he referenced to "Star by Star".

[Ender]

Publis has a pretty good essay hammering this into the ground.

And I back Kaz here, that entry smacks of a bad pro rebel spin job. Like "worse then Fox news" bad spin.

[Ender]

Oh, and I'd further point out she didn't get the picket frigate killed in combat - she lost it by plowing into debris.

Hell of a commander. Got to wonder why the Imperials didn't give her a Star Destroyer.

[UCBooties]

The EU is lame. That is all.

You are a dick. That is all.

Publius' essay actualy reinforces that both women and non-humans had to achieve above and beyond human men in order to be accepted in the Imperial State.

[2000AD]

Publis has a pretty good essay hammering this into the ground.

Link?

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Click

If that doesn't work for you, just go to www.domuspublica.net, click Analysis, then Peculiar Institutions. Read and enjoy.